Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-11-30
State Atfair5.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


on the first day Of the session, first
takes up the State debt, which in the
aggregate amounts to $6,400, 900, Of
which $277, 900 is estimated as valid
bonds issued between 1868 and 1872,
and ante-bellum bonds not consolda-
ted under the Act of 1873. There is
every reason to believe that large
portion of these have been lost or de-
stroyed and that the State will never
be called upon to redeem them.
The Governor regards the recon-
mendation of the ComptrOller-Gen-
eral that limit be put on the time
when these bonds may be exchanged
as wise, and commends it 10 the con-
.sideration of the Legislature, as the
whole State debt must be readjusted
in 1893, the date of its maturity.
The Sinking Fund Commission,
during the year, has purchased and
cancelled 32,517.50 of deficiencies,
decreasing the debt that amount.
There is now outstanding 1920, ,239 of
deficiency bonds and stock which
will come due July 1, 1888, for which
provision must be made this session.
The sum of $4,000 is now on hand,
leaving 100000 to be met. In order
to provide for the payment of this
debt thus falling due, it is recon-
mended that authority be given
the Governor and such other State Of
ficers as you may designate, to give
through the papers of the principal
money markets of the world, notice
that the State of South Carolina de-
sires to borrow the sum Of $400, 900
to ask for proposals for the loan of
the same, to be secured by State
bonds in all respects similar to the
Brown Consol bonds, except in the
rate of interest and the date Of ma
turity. BY offering competition of
this kind there is no reason why,
with our securities ranking among
the first in the stock exchanges Of the
country, this loan should not be read
lily taken at t or 44 per cent. interest.
This adjustment of this small portion
of our debt once effected, the result
is an immediate saving of $4,000 in
the amountappropriated for the pay
ment Of interest on the public debt,
and is but O foretaste of the relief the
Taxpayers will feel when the whole
State debt shall have been refunded
in like manner in 1898. If we so
maintain the credit of the State by
making provision for promptly meet
ing all her liabilities, and by a wise
conduct of affairs succeed in ultimate
ly placing the entire amount Of our
Indebtedness at the low rate of 4 per
cent. our annual budget will have
likewise been decreased in it's inter-
est charge by the large amount of
s12O, 1000. This is true retrenchment
and reform, and to this end all the
energy and wisdom of the represent
atives of the people should be con-
stantly and untiringly directed"
Regarding the forfeited lands, the
Governor says the burdens of taxa
tion should fall equally on all and
every citizen should be required to
pay his just proportion of the taxes
necessary to support the Govern
ment under which he lives. "But l
regretto have to say that this is not
the case in South Carolina, as will
be seen by reference to the list of
lands forfeited for the non-payment
of taxes. BY reference to the report
of the commissioners of the sinking
fund it will be found that there were
on the forfeited land list, at the end
of the fiscal year ending October 81 (,
1886, 954,237 acres; that during the
present fiscal year ending October 81 f,
1857, new forfeitures have been in
cured which amount to 100, ,045acres !;
the whole amounting in the aggre-
gate to 1861, ,292 acres. During the
present fiscal year 45, ,29S acres of land
have been sold or redeemed, and o.
131 acres have been stricken from
the forfeited list as erroneous entries
and still there remains on this list
net acreage of 9I4,85 acres of land.
Whilst the foregoing exhibit shows
that the acreage of land on the for
feited list at the present time is 49,
3S3 acres less than at the same time
last year, it will be seen on eXami-
nation that.this decrease is not due
to the fact that taxes have been more
promptly paid, but to the activity
and efficiency Of the land depart
ment in effecting sales and redemp-
tion of forfeited lands, and in dis
covering and eliminating erroneous
forfeitures that had crept into the
forfeited list from 1868 to 1886. The
fact that 100,045 acres of new forfeit
ures have been incurred during the
present fiscal year is matter Of Sc
rious moment to the State, and a
great injustice to those citizens whose
patriotism and sense of duty con-
strain them to pay their taxes. TO
enact a law that will abate this great
and growing evil is matter, there
fore, for your most earnest consider
alton" The Governor then reviews
the legislation on this subject for the
past ten years and shows the effect
that temporizing legislation has had
in contributing to the undesirable
result under review. He recon-
mends legislation that will secure to
the purchaser of forfeited lands good
and sufficient title, and if this be
impracticable, that law be passed
authorizing the commissioners of the
sinking fund to bring action in the
Courts Of the several counties where
the forfeited lands are located for
the taxes, costs and penalties now
due the State against the owners
thereof, and by judgment regularly
obtained. as for debt due, sell the
same to satisfy the judgment, the
State to preserve its priority Of lien
for said taxes over and above all
other judgments.
In regard to the public schools, the
Governor says: "There is an appa-
rent decrease in the enrolment, and,
therefore, in the average attendance
of public schools for the year 1867.
This is due to the closing of the
schools of Georgetown county during
the year under the authority of an
Act of the General Assembly, and to
an error in the last return from
Berkeley county. There is beyond
question in the schools generally
throughout the State a gradual and
constant annual increase in the num-
Der enrolled and a corresponding in
crease in the average attendance.
This desirable result has been reach
ed, Notwithstanding the short crops
and the low prices of the past few
years. The people of the State are
more aroused upon this important
subject of education than ever before
in their history, and the next report
of the Superintendent will, in his